David Higham Associates

What David Higham Associates does

David Higham Associates (DHA) is a London-based literary, film, and television agency founded in 1935 and registered as David Higham Associates Limited in England and Wales. The firm represents writers, illustrators, scriptwriters, directors, and literary estates, brokering rights across book publishing, film and television adaptation, translation, and theatrical production. Its client roster spans commercially dominant fiction (Kate Morton, Mick Herron, Paula Hawkins, Rachel Abbott, Cressida Cowell), literary heavyweights (Sarah Bernstein, Benjamin Myers, Penelope Lively), and estates of canonical authors (Roald Dahl), with a documented pipeline of screen adaptations at Apple TV+, Netflix, Paramount+, BBC, and Sky. DHA earns commission on the rights deals it negotiates — including book advances, subsidiary rights, translation rights, and screen adaptations — operating as a sales-led professional services firm rather than a software or technology platform.

The agency's go-to-market is relationship-driven: it acquires clients via submissions and agent outreach, then monetizes through percentage commissions on deals closed with publishers, studios, and international co-agents. Distribution is global, with translation rights sold into 36+ languages and theatrical partnerships with the National Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, and Charing Cross Theatre. Internally, DHA is structured as a private limited company under Managing Director Lizzy Kremer, with a board of directors and a headcount of 11-50 employees. In 2025, the firm executed its first disclosed M&A action, acquiring The Bent Agency UK Ltd to consolidate its UK client roster, and simultaneously marked its 90th anniversary. There are no disclosed technology products, APIs, or AI capabilities — the firm's value is delivered entirely through human-authored representation, deal-making expertise, and long-tenured author relationships.

Name

David Higham Associates

Legal name

David Higham Associates Limited

Website

https://davidhigham.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

David Higham Associates is a London-based literary, film, and television agency founded in 1935 that represents writers, illustrators, scriptwriters, and estates, earning commissions on book, screen, and translation rights deals worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Literary representation and rights sales: DHA earns commission on deals negotiated for authors they represent, including book deals, film/TV adaptations, translation rights, and other subsidiary rights sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

David Higham Associates is a literary, film, and television agency representing writers, illustrators, scriptwriters, directors, and literary estates. The agency negotiates and sells rights across book publishing, translation, film/TV adaptation, and stage production on behalf of its clients, earning commissions on the deals it closes.

Product overview

David Higham Associates is a literary, film, and television agency that has operated since 1935. The agency provides representation and management services for writers, illustrators, scriptwriters, directors, and estates across print, translation, and screen rights. Services include literary representation, submission handling, permissions management, translation rights brokering, and connections to film, TV, and stage production opportunities. The agency does not operate a software product platform but rather provides professional services to the publishing and entertainment industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple #1 Sunday Times bestsellers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Bent Agency UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHA acquired The Bent Agency UK Ltd, expanding its client roster and market presence in the UK literary agency sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Fraser Ross Associates: Edinburgh-based literary agency representing authors primarily in the UK and Scottish markets. Comparable in service model but smaller in scale and more geographically concentrated than DHA's global operation.

Direct peers

• United Agents: Major UK literary and talent agency representing authors, playwrights, screenwriters, and directors across book, film, TV, and theatre rights. Closely comparable to DHA in offering full-service representation for high-profile literary talent.
• Andrew Nurnberg Associates: International literary agency specializing in translation rights and foreign rights representation across European and Asian markets. Comparable to DHA in its emphasis on translation rights and multi-territory deal-making.
• Janklow & Nesbit: Highly prestigious US-based literary agency representing award-winning authors across fiction, non-fiction, and children's literature. Comparable to DHA in author prestige and global rights brokering.
• Susijn Agency: Specialist literary agency representing children's book authors and illustrators for publishing and animation/TV rights. Comparable to DHA's children's book and illustration representation practice (Cressida Cowell, Michael Morpurgo).
• Curtis Brown: One of the UK's largest and most established literary and talent agencies, representing authors, scriptwriters, directors, and brands. Directly comparable to DHA in service breadth, target clientele, and commission-based rights representation model.
• A.M. Heath & Co. Long-established UK literary agency representing fiction, non-fiction, and children's authors. Comparable to DHA as a UK-rooted agency with strong rights representation and prize-winning author relationships.
• Blake Friedmann: London-based literary, film, and TV agency representing authors, illustrators, and screenwriters. Closely comparable to DHA in offering integrated book and screen rights representation with a similar client profile.
• The Wylie Agency: Prestigious literary agency with offices in London and New York, representing major literary authors globally. Highly comparable to DHA in author caliber, prestige positioning, and global rights representation.
• RCW Literary Agency: UK-based literary agency representing authors across fiction and non-fiction, with strong global translation rights distribution. Comparable to DHA in representing prize-winning literary authors and managing multi-territory rights sales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dhabooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/DavidHighamAssociates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/david-higham-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/davidhighamassociates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about David Higham Associates